United Football League

[KJE]

This game was bad before the rain. The teams seemed to get better but now kicking is impossible.

[DYSI]

For those of you who want to follow the XFL but need it presented in a Kenny Mayne-lite type of way to give it some context without watching the games, here you go.

TIL Paxton Lynch, Ben DeNucci, and AJ McCarron have jobs. 

[Maxx]

Lynch won't for long

[Lineker]

 

[Maxx]

Orlando Guardians games are fun because it’s commentators shitting on Paxton Lynch for 2 hours

[Maxx]

38,000 in attendance for St. Louis’ home opener today 

[KJE]

Seattle vs St Louis starts soon and it could decide second place in the North. It should be a good game, too!

[Lineker]

 

[Maxx]

My favorite teams have won 100% of XFL championship games 

[Lineker]

 

 

[Maxx]

Call it USFL-X

Glad to see the very sensible option is what they are going with.  There's a market for a spring football league.   There is not a market for two.

[Krabby]

Yeah I would agree - it's a move that makes a lot of sense

[Maxx]

They have filed for trademark on National Spring Football League which an accurate description is also worse than either league’s current name.

SFL would have sufficed.

[The Buscher]

National Spring Football League makes it sound even more minor league than it already was.

[Krabby]

XFL sounded a lot cooler lol

[GhostMachine]

USXFL or USFXL. No way the NFL lets them use NSFL.

 

[Maxx]

Looks like they finally got the merger figured out. Will be called the United Football League, because why not combine two previously failed spring football leagues and name it after yet another failed spring football league.  8 teams, haven’t announced them yet though.

[Lint]

[CrossingBroad]RIP Philadelphia Stars (2022-2023)

[Maxx]

Great Value brand Cowboys.

[Lineker]

Quote

The merger of the USFL and XFL into one spring pro football league is now official, as the United Football League will kick off on March 30, 2024. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia made the announcement Sunday on the NFL on Fox pregame show. Here’s what you need to know:

• The leagues announced in September their intent to merge. The USFL’s second iteration began in 2022 and has run for the past two seasons, while the XFL’s third iteration began in 2023, creating some overlap between the two eight-team leagues last spring.
• Most teams and markets have not been announced yet. Johnson said on Fox that he would announce the teams Monday on ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
• The first game will match up the Arlington Renegades and the Birmingham Stallions on March 30. Both teams won their respective league championships last year.
• Games will be broadcast on ABC, Fox, ESPN and FS1.

What does this mean?
The announcement was light on specifics, most notably the teams, but that will come Monday. XFL News Hub reported that the UFL is expected to have eight teams/markets: Arlington, Houston, San Antonio, St. Louis, Birmingham, Washington, D.C., Michigan and Memphis. At least six of those eight teams have been selling 2024 tickets locally for home games, according to team sources.

There are no specifics on the rules yet, either. Both the USFL and XFL had innovative rule tweaks, like no kicking on extra points, fourth-down conversions replacing onside kicks and unique kickoffs, and the USFL used a chip in the ball for officials to spot. Johnson was asked about the rules on Fox but didn’t give any details.

We also don’t know about home sites. The USFL used hub cities to host multiple teams, while the XFL housed its teams in the Dallas area during the week but flew them out to individual home sites for games. The local ticket sales would seem to indicate home sites are most likely.

Will it work?
It’s hard to say. People keep trying to make spring pro football a thing. The XFL reportedly lost millions last year, according to Forbes. NBC executive John Miller told Sports Business Journal in 2022 that the USFL was “profitable” in its first season, though specifics were unclear. But it was obvious that two competing spring leagues could not last. Still, it’s often entertaining television, though ratings decline throughout the spring. In some cities, like Washington, D.C. and St. Louis, it worked. Both saw huge home crowds and raucous environments last year in the XFL.

Spring football is also good for players, though the merger means there will be half as many opportunities as before. Both leagues saw scores of players earn NFL training camp invitations, and many earned roster spots. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke played in the 2020 XFL before getting back to the NFL and finding a starting job. The same went for current Cleveland Browns quarterback P.J. Walker. A.J. McCarron spent spring 2023 with the St. Louis Battlehawks before returning to the Cincinnati Bengals.

What they’re saying
“From day one, our mission has been to expand the game of football and be a league of opportunity, culture and innovation,” Johnson said in a statement. “As we come together to create the UFL, we can build something powerful, exciting and very cool for football fans — a spring league with lasting impact for all the players with a dream to play pro football and the ‘hardest workers in the room’ mentality to make their dreams come true.”

Garcia stated: “This new venture is possible because of a shared visionary mindset, a profound passion for the game, and first-hand experience living and creating the opportunities that football makes possible. As a unified spring league, we are able to deepen our commitment to unlocking and surpassing the dreams of our players, coaches, staff and fans. This league represents continued legacy and evolution, and we look forward to building the universe of spring football.”